FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy White
The Natural Marketing Institute
215.513.7300 ext. 225
Nancy.White@NMIsolutions.com

NMI Presents New Research: The Boomer From A to Z

Anaheim, Ca. (March 18, 2006) –  Steve French, Managing Partner of The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), presented key findings from a recent survey of American Baby Boomers at the NCOA/ASA Conference in Anaheim, CA on March 18, 2006.  Also presenting were Xenia Montenegro from AARP and Colin Milner from ICAA in a session entitled “How Baby Boomers Are Redefining the Healthy Aging Market”.

NMI’s presentation, “The Boomer from A to Z” focused on 26 different aspects of healthy aging relative to Boomers and highlighted all-encompassing insight into this influential portion of the American population.  The 26 aspects covered were:

Excerpts from NMI's presentation include:

Anti-Aging: The older a Boomer gets, the younger they want to feel. The top three reasons for a healthy lifestyle include the desire to live longer, to look better, and to reduce the effects of aging. This shows a continued trend toward the importance of physical appearance.

Caregiving: More than 4 in 10 have ever cared for a loved one with a serious illness or disability. Today, 15% of Boomers are caregivers --- almost 12 million Americans. The two primary challenges to caregiving include emotionally dealing with the loved one, followed by having enough time.

Energy: Boomers cite a large difference between their needs as relating to energy and their satisfaction. While 66% say that energy level is very important, only 16% are very satisfied with their energy level. And 38% indicate that fatigue is their biggest fear about aging.

Government: 58% are aware of Medicare Part D program for prescription medications. While the majority state they are not eligible, only 20% plan to sign up when the are eligible and 41% are unsure.

Investments and Savings:  The median net worth of Boomers is $78,000. 57% consider themselves spenders rather than savers and 15% admit to having no investments – creating dilemmas for their retirement.

Job & Retirement:  Boomers feel they will retire at 65 and 70% would like to get a part time job they really enjoy after they retire. Of those who are already retired, the average age was 55.

Leisure & Travel:  Almost 60% of Boomers would like more travel options for people their age. They take an average of three vacation trips per year – similar to Generation Y and Generation X.

Old Age: According to Boomers, “old age” begins at 65. Boomers expect to live to age 82 and want to live to 90 years of age.

Quandaries: Almost all Boomers (95%) feel a healthy lifestyle is more important as they get older, yet 2 out of 10 feel the lifestyle choices they make don’t have any real impact on their health. 82% believe advances in healthcare are going to extend their lifespan.

Supplements: 80% of Boomers would rather use vitamins, minerals and supplements than Rx medications to stay healthy, but 73% feels there is too much conflicting info about what supplements they should take.

Technology: Boomers show high comfort level regarding technology with 8 out of 10 indicting they are comfortable using new technologies and that it’s a vital part of their lives. 95% use email regularly and 81% use technology to stay connected with family.

View of Themselves: While Boomers age 41-49 consider themselves stressed, depressed, burnt out and anti-social, those aged 50-60 view themselves as a home body, traditional, patriotic, optimistic, spiritual and living a balanced life.

Youth: A quarter of Boomers are youth seekers, looking for the next “fountain of youth” remedy and want health products that are hip, cool and trendy. Over one-third specifically maintain a healthy lifestyle to “look young”.

According to French, “The Healthy Aging/Boomer Database™ was created by NMI to allow us to examine one of the most influential segments of our society, both economically and ideologically. The research is used to identify drivers of shifting Boomer paradigms, determine unmet Boomer needs, explore underlying Boomer attitudes, and identify marketplace opportunities.”

Conducted in January 2006 among 1,502 Boomers aged 41-60, the data is nationally representative, balanced to the U.S. Census, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6%  For more information on NMI’s Healthy Aging/Boomer Database™, visit NMI’s website at www.nmisolutions.com/healthy_aging.html or contact us at 215-513-7300.

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NMI is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health, wellness, and sustainable marketplace. For more information on NMI’s other proprietary research reports and services, visit NMI’s web site at www.NMIsolutions.com.

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